If you are someone who is trying to get fit and look great this summer, you know just how difficult it can be training in the summer sun. Even though you have been praying for it for the last 6 to 8 months, heat can be your absolute worst nightmare while training.
Fortunately, there is one simple trick that is could keep you cool, and help you stay active longer this summer.
What Is Pre-cooling
It’s simple, really. The longer you train, the more calories you burn, and the more weight you lose. This simple principle guided a group of Scandinavian researchers to conduct a study focused on how to keep the body from overheating while training in intense heat.
Although the body does create its own natural cooling system using perspiration and air flow, it is not enough to keep you comfortable and cool while training in the summer sun. While effective at removing heat from the body, this process can increase strain on the heart and reduce the flow of blood and oxygen to working muscles. So, how do you keep cool?
According to these researchers you can keep cool with Pre-cooling. Pre-cooling is the process of dropping the body’s temperature drastically prior to engaging in rigorous activity in high temperature conditions. There are a few different methods of precooling that have been used (somewhat unknowingly) for years now.
To find the most efficient and effective way to pre-cool Scandinavian researchers developed a study in which the two most popular forms of pre-cooling would be put to the test.
The Study
To obtain a reliable base for their measurements, the researchers would first observe how participants performed in high temperature conditions after consuming a room temperature sweet drink and allowing their body to use sweat as a cooling mechanism.
Once the participants had finished consuming these drinks they were asked to run for 30 minute on a treadmill, while in a hot room.
The study would then examine the most common pre-cooling method, which is to simply drinking an ice cold sweet beverage before exercise; sweet drinks were used because the beverage drops in temperature much faster than any other kind of beverage. In the study, athletes were given a cold sweet beverage before their second work out in a temperature controlled facility.
Athletes would spend about 30 minutes on a treadmill, in a heated room, while researchers monitored their core temperature, skin temperatures, heart rates, blood lactate levels, and feelings about how hot they felt.
Finally, participants were asked to dunk their arms in ice cold water, place cold towels on their necks, and strap on a pair of underwear with special ice pockets. The participants would then spend another 30 minutes running, while researchers recorded their results.
The Results
The study’s results revealed that consuming a cold sweet beverage before exercise in hot climates will help keep core temperatures low for some time. However, if you are looking to train longer and avoided overheating, it is much more beneficial to pre-cool using an exterior method,
such as wrapping a cold towel around the neck or putting on a pair underwear equipped with ice pockets at the thighs.
Note: Although these methods can help you train in high temperatures for a long period of time; training in extreme heat is not encouraged.
Even with pre-cooling, the body can easily be pushed past its limits in extreme heat. Continuing activity in these conditions can result in injury. It is advised to speak with a medical professional before engaging in any kind of rigorous activity during periods of high heat.
For more information on pre-cooling visit The New York Times.
